Sorrowed Beginnings
by Madi Starlight
Summary: WARNING: Spoilers for How to Train Your Dragon 2! It's Hiccup and Astrid's big day...and Hiccup is nowhere to be found. Valka eventually finds him, however, needing desperate comfort and consolation. (One-shot...wrote it late at night.)


"Hiccup! Son, everyone's been looking for you. What, is the Chief hiding from his own bride?"

"What, who, me? No...I just..."

Valka walked over and put a hand on her son's shoulder. "I don't think the village can wait any longer. And you might lose your head if you make Astrid wait any-"

"I can't do it."

She smirked. He was just like his father on his wedding day. "Oh, Hiccup...Listen, I know it's scary. You should've seen your father on our wedding day. His father had to drag him through the village."

"It's not that." Hiccup said, reaching forward to brush his fingers over a painted wooden shield.

"What then, are you lolligagging, son? You know you can't wait all day."

Hiccup was silent for a moment and she wondered if she'd have to somehow fit Cloudjumper in here to drag him out. However, soon he spoke, voice low.

"He's not here."

Finally she saw what he'd been staring at for the past hour and a half. A painting of Hiccup and his father. She'd been in the Meade Hall before since she'd come, but for some reason she hadn't noticed the addition to the row of painted shields, each with the image of the current chief and the chief's son. Of course, she hadn't been here...she hadn't realized how frail and small her son really had been growing up. It was so different to see him now. The boy in the painting looked, well, awkward and out-of-place next to Stoic. Or even compared to the young man he was now. It made her laugh.

"Was this you?"

He almost smiled. "Yeah. I _really_ lived up to dad's reputation, didn't I?"

"He was so proud of you, you know that?"

Hiccup looked down. "Mom..."

"He would've wanted you to go through with it."

"I know, Mom!" He snapped. "You don't have to tell me. I _know _what he wanted to do. He wanted to be here. No really! It's all he talked about! That and me being chief. Day and night." Exasperated, he started to imitate his father. " 'Hiccup, so, when are you going to ask her?' 'You know Hiccup, when the big day comes..' 'Hiccup, make sure after you get married that you build a good strong hut. I'll help ya. It'll be grand.' 'Hiccup, how's Astrid? Are you two making plans yet? Okay, okay, just askin' 'Hiccup, when you're chief, you know she'll make a great partner.' 'Hiccup, you know when _I _married your mother, I thought it was the end of Berk, but let me tell you," The young man stopped, trembling, then shaking his head. "He was supposed to _be _here. Oh _gods_, Mom, he was supposed to be here..." He sank in front of the wall, one hand beneath the shield, the other cradling his face, repeating the sentence until he couldn't speak anymore.

Valka stood suspended over him, not knowing what to say or how to say anything. Here she was, supposed to be his _mother _but what did a mother do in these situations? Was she supposed to hug him? Tell him it would be all right? Was she supposed to tell him to man-up? No, that wouldn't seem right. Even as a viking, it didn't feel right when he was still so distressed over the loss of his father. She couldn't rely on the memory of her own mother. It was too long ago. She resulted to crouching next to him and putting an arm around him. "I know. I know...but you can't change what happened. As much as you want to. All you can do is change what's going to happen _now. _And Hiccup, look at me,"

He tensed, not saying anything. Slowly, he looked up at her with glossy red eyes.

"Your father _is _here? Can't you see?" Moving a hand over his heart, she smiled. "He's here." She knocked on his head lightly. "And up here." She shook his shoulders. "And in there _somewhere_." There we go, there was the smile she'd been looking for. Standing, she indicated to the room around her. "And he's everywhere on this island. He lives in you Hiccup. He always will. I can see that. Can't you?"

He stood slowly, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and looking back to the shield on the wall. After a long moment, he smiled again. "I..won't let you down, dad. I promise." With a deep breath in, he turned back to follow his mother out of the hall before stopping suddenly, eyes wide. Valka tilted her head in concern. "What is it?"

He took a shaky breath. "I'm...getting married."

She burst into laughter and much to Hiccup's dismay, couldn't stop.


End file.
